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The fourth and presumably final issue of the Field Guide to Superheroes runs only about 2/3 as long as the others in page count, but serves as a worthy conclusion to the series. As with the other issues, Vol. 4 presents a series of superhero archetypes, throughly discussed and then illustrated with a hero who embodies that (and perhaps other) archetypes. Vol. 4 features ten archetypes. This volume also implements a number of significant improvements, most noticeably the new stat block format and the use of typefaces that have lower-case letters (this may account for most of the lower page count). The presentation is very attractive, although there are still some editing issues; for example, the book can’t seem to decide whether “superheroes” is one word (per the cover) or two (as in the footer). Also, at least one of the characters in FG4 shares a name with a character in Adamant’s official products, creating potential confusion. As usual, Dan Houser provides excellent artwork at the rate of two characters per archetype. One appears, unnamed, in connection with the archetype; the second appears with the specific character write-up. If you have the other issues of the Field Guide, you’ll definitely want Vol. 4. If you haven’t checked out the Field Guide yet, be aware that the earlier volumes have some different layout conventions than Vol. 4. Just before I posted this review, Vigilance updated the PDF with bookmarks, a helpful addition.
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